'Here's the difference between us," explains the Israeli prime minister. 'We're using missile defense to protect our civilians and they're using their civilians to protect their missiles."

Rarely does international politics present a moment of such moral clarity. Yet we routinely hear this Israel-Gaza fighting described as a morally equivalent "cycle of violence." This is absurd. What possible interest can Israel have in cross-border fighting? Everyone knows Hamas set off this mini-war. And everyone knows Hamas' proudly self-declared raison d'etre: the eradication of Israel and its Jews.

Apologists for Hamas attribute the bloodlust to the Israeli occupation and blockade. Occupation? There is not a soldier, not a settler, not a single Israeli in Gaza. Does no one remember anything? It was less than 10 years ago that worldwide television showed the Israeli army pulling diehard settlers off synagogue roofs in Gaza as Israel uprooted it settlements, expelled its citizens, withdrew its military and turned every inch of Gaza over to the Palestinians.

There was no blockade. On the contrary. Israel wanted this new Palestinian state to succeed. To help the Gaza economy, Israel gave the Palestinians its 3,000 greenhouses that had produced fruit and flowers for export. It opened border crossings and encouraged commerce.

The whole idea was to establish the model for two states living peacefully and productively side by side. No one seems to remember that simultaneous with the Gaza withdrawal, Israel dismantled four smaller settlements in the northern West Bank as a clear signal of Israel's desire to leave the West Bank too and thus achieve an amicable two-state solution.

And how did the Gaza Palestinians react to being granted by the Israelis what no previous ruler, neither Egyptian, nor British, nor Turkish, had ever given them – an independent territory? First, they demolished the greenhouses. Then they elected Hamas. Then, instead of building a state with its attendant political and economic institutions, they spent the better part of a decade turning Gaza into a massive military base, brimming with terror weapons, to make ceaseless war on Israel.

Where are the roads and rail, the industry and infrastructure of the new Palestinian state? Nowhere. Instead, they built mile upon mile of underground tunnels to hide their weapons and, when the going gets tough, their military commanders. They spent millions importing and producing rockets, launchers, mortars, small arms, even drones. They deliberately placed them in schools, hospitals, mosques and private homes to better expose their own civilians. And from which they fire rockets at Jerusalem and Tel Aviv.

Why? The rockets can't even inflict serious damage, being almost uniformly intercepted by Israel's Iron Dome anti-missile system. Even West Bank leader Mahmoud Abbas has asked: "What are you trying to achieve by sending rockets?"

In a world of such Kafkaesque ethical inversions, Hamas' depravity begins to make sense.

It makes no sense. Unless you understand, as a Washington Post editorial explained, that the whole point is to draw Israeli counterfire.

This produces dead Palestinians for international television. Which is why Hamas perversely urges its own people not to seek safety when Israel drops leaflets warning of an imminent attack.

To deliberately wage war so that your own people can be telegenically killed is indeed moral and tactical insanity. But it rests on a very rational premise: Given the Orwellian state of the world's treatment of Israel (see: the U.N.'s grotesque Human Rights Council), fueled by a mix of classic anti-Semitism, near-total historical ignorance and reflexive sympathy for the ostensible Third World underdog, these eruptions featuring Palestinian casualties ultimately undermine support for Israel's legitimacy and right to self-defense.

In a world of such Kafkaesque ethical inversions, Hamas' depravity begins to make sense. This is a world in which the Munich massacre is a movie and the murder of Klinghoffer is an opera – both deeply sympathetic to the killers. This is a world in which the U.N. ignores humanity's worst war criminals while incessantly condemning Israel, a state warred upon for 66 years which nonetheless goes to extraordinary lengths to avoid harming the very innocents its enemies use as shields.

It's to the Israelis' credit that amid all this madness they haven't lost their moral scruples. Or their nerve. Those outside the region have the minimum obligation, therefore, to expose the madness and speak the truth. Rarely has it been so blindingly clear.

About the Author

Charles Krauthammer is a sydicated columnist for the Washington Post, and a contributor on Fox News. He has been named by the Financial Times the most influential commentator in America, and was awarded the Pulitzer Prize for Distinguished Commentary.

The opinions expressed in the comment section are the personal views of the commenters. Comments are moderated, so please keep it civil.

Visitor Comments: 34

(27)
Anonymous,
August 7, 2014 10:52 PM

where are the united nations voices.thousands of christians are being starved AND MURDERED BY ISIS. if scotland was firing rockets into england, would we just take it? NO we would fire back just as Israel has done, and will do again . never trust an arab

(26)
Miriam,
July 28, 2014 7:51 PM

May hamas be NUNCA MAS.

Evil needs to be dealt with accordingly. FEAR NOT for what may or may not be. Israel is not only fighting evil against himself but also getting read off one of it's many forms against a world that just doesn't seem to have the clarity of What To Do. It would not be the first time and it may not be the last. But it Most Be Done.
AM YSRAEL CHAI.

(25)
Anonymous,
July 25, 2014 3:08 PM

what is middle east

A land of differing religious views all claiming the power of some superstitious being but still feeling the killing of humans. It is my feeling that what needs be done here is for this United Nation crap to get theiur biggoted asses going and totally ban all arms within the entire middle east. No gunsNo bombsNo nothing that will harm another human Then amagalgamate the entire region into one land...the land of middle east. Then promote togethernes. Talk and reaching out to one another will show progress if we only keep the arms out. BUT then the west cannot make the billions they do on arms sales. So who really is at fault here....ourselves and corporate world ???

(24)
jonatan,
July 24, 2014 10:38 AM

PA don't want a statehood

they don't want and don't desire a state establish what they want it is every thing that Israel had and have...as illness they like a stadium 4 cancer, and framed Israel as the body.as a people they are a shadow wants to swallow the images and lasting is we must cuts all the backing barrage of moral support from arab nation from religeous brotherhood ,and finance aid that always supply them with all arm from anywhere for the next day they carrying cross border and shot it to Israel .....this is along battle that Israel state and Jewish around the world must doing continue time to time currently

(23)
Cee,
July 23, 2014 3:11 PM

agreement and change

I am rarely on the same page with Dr. Krauthammer politically. BUT his article was right on the money. It seems that all of the network news shows give partiality to the Hamas "victims" even Fox where he works. I would really like to see him and others say over and over that the charter of Hamas is specific to the point of their only objective is to destroy Israel, kill every Jew, and incidentally, Any Christians in their path. I know that the odds of this happening are slim. Also I was hoping that Christians would take more note of what happened in Mosul last week where Christians who did not convert to Islam, were either killed or "allowed" to flee with only the clothes on their backs. The pole tax or Jizza was not even an option for them. But I fear that we are only talking to each other, so the world ignores us.

(22)
sabu,
July 23, 2014 2:58 PM

kunning fox

Hamas is playing tricks as a kunning fox. finally the truth reveal

(21)
Anonymous,
July 23, 2014 1:57 PM

annihilate Gaza once and for all

Yisrael is surrounded by arabs. ALL of them want openly or in their heart to annihilate Ysrael. And Jews what are they doing? Receiving rockets day in day out. The sirens hurling day in day out. All pepole running to the shelters day in day out. Ysrael gives Abbas cement and instead of building houses they build tunnels. You give them electrical energy and they build rockets. You give them a job and thei kidnap and kill your boys. Yisrael, what are you waiting for to react terribly and once and for all?When a body has a cáncer it must be erradicated. Hamas is a cáncer. Fatah is a cáncer. Jihad is a cáncer. Hezbollah is a cáncer. The ayatollahs are a cáncer. Stop it once and for all. I'll never be tired repeating it. I don't want another holocaust. I don't want to cry again. They can't or they don't want to understand that they must live in peace. OK. nothing else to say. They must pay terribly what they are doing. Remember brothers. I don't want to cry again.

Meira,
July 24, 2014 9:20 PM

"Hamas is a cancer ... ayatollahs are a cancer"

Israel spends a lot of time and money on finding cures for the ills of the peoples on earth.

Sadly, those who need that wisdom and education are the ones who want to murder all of Israel and all Jews.

"... by the time they came for me, there was no one to help me." Anti-Semites better heed the poem's message loud and clear.

(20)
Ronald Coleman,
July 23, 2014 4:56 AM

Truth!

Charles you are so correct

(19)
Yehudith Shraga,
July 23, 2014 2:41 AM

The Truth about West Bank and "Israeli" Arabs

Abbas Threatens the world: "We have no aircraft and artillery, but we have justice,"he said.“No one will feel security in the entire world,until the Palestinian people will feel it.”Abbas met with Hamas leader Khaled Mashaal in Qatar,and the two issued a joint appeal for an end to "Israeli aggression" in Gaza.Last week,Abbas encouraged Hamas to accept internationally-brokered ceasefire efforts-if not in the name of Palestinian Arab unity, then at least specifically to hurt Israel.Israeli-Arabs call for general strike in protest of Operation Protective Edge and in solidarity with Palestinian civilians in Gaza.Israeli Arab riots are no intifada-they're civil war,they're those who enjoy Israeli citizenship and act as terrorists.These are those who have equal voting rights, their own political parties,serve on the Israeli Knesset,Cabinet, and Supreme Court; hold diplomatic positions; participate in the Israeli music and arts scene;represent Israel on the national soccer team, including winning the Israeli national championship. They're granted all fundamental civil liberties,including freedoms of religion,speech,assembly, and in fact enjoy more civil rights than Arabs living in any other Middle Eastern country.

YET ALL THIS IS WORTHLESS FOR THOSE WHOSE ONLY PURPOSE IS TO ANNIHILATE THE PEOPLE OF ISRAEL. Sounds familiar, isn't it?"Haman...went to his house and sent for his friends and his wife Zeresh.Haman told them of his glorious wealth and his many sons,and all about how the king had promoted and raised him...Then Haman said: "In addition, along with the king,Queen Esther invited only me to the feast that she prepared. ...Yet all this is worthless to me whenever I see Mordechai the Jew sitting at the king's gate!"

Finally even Haman's wife has THE "revelation". Zeresh told him, "If this Mordechai, before whom you have begun to fall, is of Jewish descent, you will not prevail over him, for you will certainly fall before him." AMEN.

(18)
marcia,
July 23, 2014 12:54 AM

Who Are We Kidding...

How & When will this tragedy that constantly befalls Israel finally end? Egypt’s El Sisi seems to be the Only Other leader besides Bibi, that can show the region the error of Obama’s ARAB SPRING!

(17)
Rob Porter,
July 22, 2014 10:13 PM

American view of this conflict

Israelis would be fascinated to see the difference between CNN Wolf Blitzer's method of interviewing P.M. Benjamin Netanyahu's chief spokesman, Mark Regev, and his interviewing of the Hamas spokesman based in Qatar.

Blitzer questions what Mark Regev says, bewails Palestinian deaths, condemns Israeli extremists, talks about Israelis excesses in attacking Hamas, but in the case of the Hamas spokesman Blitzer has a mouth full of teeth and gives this Hamas arch liar full reign to spout his idiotic propaganda that, as usual, involves re-written history and the usual Muslim drivel.

Blitzer reflects the mentality of America's Liberal left and they happen to dominate America's news media.

Zamira Rajchgod,
July 23, 2014 12:25 PM

You didn't mention...

Rob: You didn't mention the fact that Blitzer is a JEW. We no longer watch CNN for this same reason.

(16)
Chris Rettenmoser,
July 22, 2014 9:48 PM

The "two" state solution is DEAD !

Israel must destroy Hamas and control a demilitarised Gaza as "Palestine".Judea and Samaria must be ANNEXED !

Seve,
July 23, 2014 11:40 AM

I agree 100%

The only thing I would add is re-taking Gaza, Judea and Samaria....... is a good start.

(15)
Madhu Pillai,
July 22, 2014 9:02 PM

Must destroy Hams

I stand by Israel, Hamas is a terrorist org,. whose leader lives in luxury in Qatar, used civilians as shields, store arms in schools and hospitals. No other nation has the guts to take on these extremists, who are bent on destroying the world, and impose their medieval ideology on unwilling people. Go Israel go, stamp them out.

(14)
Anonymous,
July 22, 2014 6:37 PM

Preaching to the choir...

This almost had me standing on my chair screaming "YEAH!". But what does this mean effectively? We can talk about how wrong they are for what they do, but what good is speaking of something that you can't do anything about?I think instead of further inner justification within the Jewish nation, we need to reach outside, as a now united-more-than-ever-nation, and actually do something about this.Then I'll be able to get up on my chair and really scream "YEAH!!!!!!"!!!B'sorot tovot, may we hear an end to this audacious madness.

(13)
dina osullivan,
July 22, 2014 6:00 PM

good comments

This is a very informative article and one that supports Israel which I did not expect from Mr. Krauthammer. Thank you for being honest abut Israel's morality.

Rachmiel,
July 22, 2014 8:02 PM

A quick answer

Dear Miss O'Sullivan,Besides Dr. Krauthammer being a most intelligent and clairvoyant individual, he is also Jewish. However, being Jewish myself, I understand all too well that being a Jew does not imply implicit support for Israel, which is so sadly evident in the USA.

(12)
Robin Rosenblatt,
July 22, 2014 5:53 PM

Israel must conquer and destroy Gaza.

Israel must conquer and destroy Gaza. Then, transfer the population to South America where they can live lives without war and terrorists turning their children into terrorists.

(11)
Brenda,
July 22, 2014 5:48 PM

This is the irrefutable truth

I am sending this editorial to every bleeding heart I know.

(10)
John Broughall,
July 22, 2014 5:09 PM

Palestinian Rockets

A few days ago I saw a picture, in my newspaper, of four youths running across a beach. The caption said, "Seconds later these four boys were dead". The picture actually showed the Israeli accuracy for hitting the target. In the sand were the boys were running were the clear marks of a rocket launcher. The Palestinians had clearly fired a rocket, then drove away. Why were those children running straight into the firing line of an Israeli shell?. The track marks of the launcher were clearly visible either side of the boys. Israel scored a direct hit on a rocket site, unfortunately the launcher had been driven away.

(9)
debra,
July 22, 2014 4:59 PM

hisotry of UN culpibility that brings us to today's conflict

Excellent article; please read the attached for UN's role pertaining to Palestinian refugees' via UNRWA. Explains a lot of how all this mess began is and perpetuated:

http://jcpa.org/article/un-relief-works-agency-unrwa/

(8)
Betty Hansen,
July 22, 2014 4:37 PM

Why can't everyone have as much sense?

As I was reading this article, I wondered who the intelligent person was that was writing it!! I love this man! If he ran for president, I would vote for him!! We could be so lucky! I watch him all the time on Fox! The only tv channel you can now trust in the USA! You can't reason with terrorists and you can't reason with liberals! They are narrow minded and they hate Jewish people and Christians! Hate never leads to anything good!I belong to Christians United for Israel and they are in Washington, DC to show the congress that there are a lot of people who support Israel! I watched it on Daystar last nite and cried thru most of it! There are so many people for you and praying for you! Don't believe the liberal news media! They lie!! They lie to us daily ! The only news that is not against Israel is Fox channel!! Thank God for them!

niki s.,
July 22, 2014 8:56 PM

Thank you!

Thank you for your wise words and ongoing support. You know the truth and you're one of the few who care enough to do something about it!

Anonymous,
July 23, 2014 3:48 AM

Can't reason with liberals?

Hi Betty,

First, I'd like to say that I truly appreciate your support towards Israel and the Jewish people. It's encouraging to see people rise up and stand with us. Golda Meir once said that we don't hate the Palestinians, we hate that we've been brought to hurt their children. May the Holy One (Blessed is His Name) bring about a time where no children are hurt and peace reigns, speedily and within our days.

By the way, not all "liberals" hate Jews, Christians, or Israel. Some of us fully support Israel. See Senator Charles Schumer's recent floor speech standing up for Israel as proof that the anti-Semitic, anti-Israel elements within the "liberals" may be loud but absolutely do not represent everyone.

All the best!

(7)
William T. Robbins,
July 22, 2014 4:34 PM

Most young Americans have never had to live like Israel does. Fox news is Israel friendly and that's what I look at. Obama has not only turned his back on Israel but the common American. He's incompetent Long live Israel.

(6)
Francine Lashinsky,
July 22, 2014 4:17 PM

anti semitism is alive and well

The Jewish nation and Jews worldwide continue to be the scapegoats for Istam and Christianity.

(5)
Dan,
July 22, 2014 3:51 PM

GIVE PEACE THE CHANCE

I'm seriously worried to the marrows about the conflict between Israel and Gaza. I always and will continue to be on the side of Israel. I love them as Jews, and I feel hurt when they are behind the news. I even joined a US- based organisation called 'CHRISTIANS UNITED FOR ISRAEL'. But I am Israel to accept the ceasefire deal being proposed by the world leaders. The death toll of human beings created by YAHWEH is disheartining. Please, give peace the chance so the Israel and Gaza can live side by side in peace. SHALOM!!

Anonymous,
July 23, 2014 3:56 AM

Giving peace a chance

Dan,

Thanks for your support!

The reality of the situation is that Hamas, in its written charter, calls for the total destruction of Israel and the elimination of Jews from the Land. There can be no true peace until the rocket attacks stop, and Hamas renounces its hateful charter and TRULY acts to seek peace.

I of course pray this is exactly what they will do but the reality is it's really not going to happen any time soon.

(4)
Bunim,
July 22, 2014 3:36 PM

Sad to see the Moral Depredation of an Anti-semitic world

The cycle of violence perpetrated by Hamas is endorsed by the Arab world, and increasingly by an anti-semitic Europe and even the US sending billions of dollars to hamas for humanitarian aid and rebuilding, which everyone knows will continue to be used for re-arming and human rights atrocities against innocent Israeli civilians and defenders.

(3)
Anonymous,
July 22, 2014 3:16 PM

Thank you

Thank you for posting this so clear! The sympathy strategy that Hamas uses brings millions of dollars of aid ofcourse they use the money to build their weapons under hospitals!

(2)
wm smith,
July 22, 2014 3:15 PM

the truth about Gaza

Charles Krauthammer you will never hear the truth about the middle east from this source. the western media has been conditioned to tell anything but the truth when it comes to Israel and what goes on there.

(1)
kevin reynolds,
July 22, 2014 3:12 PM

outcome....

The Israeli battle-plan is 2000 years old and still the most effective plan ever written.

My nephew is having his bar mitzvah and I am thinking of a gift. In the old days, the gift of choice was a fountain pen, then a Walkman, and today an iPod. But I want to get him something special. What do you suggest?

The Aish Rabbi Replies:

Since this event celebrates the young person becoming obligated in the commandments, the most appropriate gift is, naturally, one that gives a deeper understanding of the Jewish heritage and enables one to better perform the mitzvot! (An iPod, s/he can get anytime.)

With that in mind, my favorite gift idea is a tzedakah (charity) box. Every Jew should have a tzedakah box in his home, so he can drop in change on a regular basis. The money can then be given to support a Jewish school or institution -- in your home town or in Israel (every Jews’ “home town”). There are beautiful tzedakah boxes made of wood and silver, and you can see a selection here.

For boys, a really beautiful gift is a pair of tefillin, the black leather boxes which contain parchments of Torah verses, worn on the bicep and the head. Owning a pair of Tefillin (and wearing them!) is an important part of Jewish identity. But since they are expensive (about $400), not every Bar Mitzvah boy has a pair. To make sure you get kosher Tefillin, see here.

In 1944, the Nazis perpetrated the Children's Action in the Kovno Ghetto. That day and the next, German soldiers conducted house-to-house searches to round up all children under age 12 (and adults over 55) -- and sent them to their deaths at Fort IX. Eventually, the Germans blew up every house with grenades and dynamite, on suspicion that Jews might be in hiding in underground bunkers. They then poured gasoline over much of the former ghetto and incinerated it. Of the 37,000 Jews in Kovno before the Holocaust, less than 10 percent survived. One of the survivors was Rabbi Ephraim Oshri, who later published a stirring collection of rabbinical responsa, detailing his life-and-death decisions during the Holocaust. Also on this date, in 1937, American Jews held a massive anti-Nazi rally in New York City's Madison Square Garden.

In a letter to someone who found it difficult to study Torah, the 20th century sage the Chazon Ish wrote:

"Some people find it hard to be diligent in their Torah studies. But the difficulty persists only for a short while - if the person sincerely resolves to submerge himself in his studies. Very quickly the feelings of difficulty will go away and he will find that there is no worldly pleasure that can compare with the pleasure of studying Torah diligently."

Although actions generally have much greater impact than thoughts, thoughts may have a more serious effect in several areas.

The distance that our hands can reach is quite limited. The ears can hear from a much greater distance, and the reach of the eye is much farther yet. Thought, however, is virtually limitless in its reach. We can think of objects millions of light years away, and so we have a much greater selection of improper thoughts than of improper actions.

Thought also lacks the restraints that can deter actions. One may refrain from an improper act for fear of punishment or because of social disapproval, but the privacy of thought places it beyond these restraints.

Furthermore, thoughts create attitudes and mindsets. An improper action creates a certain amount of damage, but an improper mindset can create a multitude of improper actions. Finally, an improper mindset can numb our conscience and render us less sensitive to the effects of our actions. We therefore do not feel the guilt that would otherwise come from doing an improper act.

We may not be able to avoid the occurrence of improper impulses, but we should promptly reject them and not permit them to dwell in our mind.

Today I shall...

make special effort to avoid harboring improper thoughts.

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